Blank feeding apparatus



Dec. 18, 1945.

' H. A. FINK BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1944 5 She etsSheet1 gwuwwbom Henry A. 1 1170723.

Dec. 18, 1945. H. A. FINK BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Shea; 2

Filed Nov. 24. 1944 Dec. 18, 1945.

H. A. FINK BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. '24; 1944Jlnry A Fink Dec. 18, 1945. H. A. FlNK 2,391,304

BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1944 v 5 Sfieets-Sheet 4 Dec. 18,1945. j K

I BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed MW. 24, 19443 5 Sheets-Sheet s 0 A an WH NNA.

I Jfen A Patented Dec. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,391,304BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y.,a corporation of 'New York The invention relates generally to workfeeders, and more particularly towork feeders adapted to feed blanks toa punch press, and it primarily punch presses in which crown caps arepunched and formed from individual larger circular blanks. According tothe invention, the blanks are fed one by one from a stack by areciprocating suction cup, means are included for directing the circularblanks to the punching station and for holding them in proper alignmentat said station, and means are included for so feeding the circularblanks that whenever the-suction cup pulls two circular blanks from thestock instead of the intended single blank, the extra blank will becaused to fall by gravity into a'receiving trough so that onlytheindividual blankactually attachedto the suction cup will be fed intoposition over the die. It is an ,object of the invention to provide ablank feeding suction cup which is reciprocated,

ranged in spaced relation under the path of travel of the suction cupand in such position that a second blank pulling away from the stackwith the blank attached by suction to the cup will fall by gravity intothe collecting trough, whereas the suction attached individual blankwill be moved by the suction cup into position over the delivery chuteand there dropped to be properly placed by the chute over the die.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feed-away chuteequipment including an inclined bottom, and a scrap floor spaced abovethe bottom onto which scrap falls from the punch and onto which punchedelements are delivered through the die, said scrap floor being providedwith apertures large enough for the punched elements to falltherethrough onto the bottom but I in an apparatus of the characterstated, a circular blank placing chute having provision for properlyaligning the circular blanks with the die operation Application November24, 1944, Serial No. 565,026

' 12 Claims. (01. 16488) and including overhanging shoulder equipmentseffective to prevent upward bouncing and displacement of blanks at thepunching station,

Another object of the invention is toprovide in an apparatus of thecharacter stated, a. swingably mounted suction cup which swings over thespaced blank collecting trough and; the blank delivering or placingchute, said cup being mounted on an arm secured to a rock shaft which isrockable in a stationarily mounted valve member and which includes avalve member m0Vably-engageable with the stationary valve member-andcooperating therewith in controlling the suction in the cup so as toproperly release blanks over said blankdelivering and placing chute.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of thecharacter stated-anovel scrap ring stripping means including a strippersleeve slidably surrounding the punch and having lostmotion connectionwith the punch, and stop means engageable by said sleeve on the upwardmovement of the punch and eifectiveto move the sleeve toward the end ofthe punch for stripping therefrom the scrap rings which are frictionallyretained on the punch after punching With the above and other objects inview that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will bemore clearly understood by reference cross section taken on the line 1-1on Figure 4.

'trating the scrap stripping sleevevand its mount-, Ming,

' chute structure, parts being broken away and.

to the following detailed description, the appended claims, and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings. v

In the drawings: r Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a punchpress embodying theinvention, parts beingbroken away and in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross section taken on theline 2-2 on Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken on the line 3-3 on Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary horizontal section takenon the line 4- -4 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross section taken on theline 5-5 on Figure 4. Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken on the line 6-6 on Figure 4. Figure '7 is an enlargedfragmentary vertical Figure 8 is a fragmentary front elevation illus-Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view illustra ing the punched element andscrap ring del v section,

Figure is a detail plan view of the stationarily mounted valve member.

Figure 11 is a detail end elevation of the valve member illustrated inFigure 10.

Figure 12 is a detail cross section illustrating the valve member .towhich the suction cup carrying arm is attached.

Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal'section ofthe parts shown in Figure 6, a crown cap being shown in the process offormation.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, thenovel apparatus is illustrated as incorporated in a punching and formingpress including a frame 5 whereon is supported the usual bed 6. The bed6 supports a die block 1, and said block in turn supports the circulardie 8 having a cutting edge 9 defining a punch receiving opening II]which is surrounded by a fiat shoulder The die 8 also has a centerclearance in which is mounted acenteriblock and a ring member serving asa draw ring and a stripper member, and these parts will be described ingreater detail hereinafter.

The reciprocable cutting and forming punch generally designated l3 whichcooperates with the die 8 is guided as at M on the frame and dependsfroma cross head |5 which is pitman connected as at 16 to the crank 11 of acrank shaft f8 which'is rotatably mounted inbearings 'l 9 provided onthe frame side arm extensions 26.

A punched element and scrap ring delivery chute structure generallydesignated 2| is supported as at'22 on the bed 6 and has its receivingthroat 23 disposed to receive scrap rings and punched elements or crowncap blanks from above the die 8.

The chute structure 2| includes an inclined bottom 24 and a floor 25spaced above said bottom and apertured as at 26. The apertures 26 arelarge enough to permit punched elements to fall therethrough but aresmall enough to prevent passage therethrough of the scrap rings receivedfrom above the die 8. See Figures *1 and '9. An inclined baffle wall 31serves to knock down any punched elements or scrap rings which mighttend to roll down the apertured floor 25 and cause them to slideflatwise.

A pair of frame standards 28 are suitably supported in spaced relationupon the bed 6, Figures 1, 2 and 3; A bracket plate 29 is secured toeach standard 28, and to each bracket plate is secured an angle member30. The angle members 30 serve as a support for an apertured plate 3|and the plate in turn supports a blank stack ring 32 having adjustablekeepers or supports 33 thereon effective to support a .stack of circularblanks and yet permit suction cup withdrawal .of said blanks, one byone, from the bottom of said stack. The usual stack posts 34 areprovided and extend upwardly from the stack ring 32 so as to support andconfine a relatively large stack of circular blanks.

A receiving trough 35 is secured as at 3.6 between the standards 28 and.beneath the stack ring .32, and a guard plate 3'! depends from thesupport plate 3| into said trough in position for cooperating with thebracket plates 29 in assuring against bouncing vof blanks out of saidtrough.

A support bar 38 is adjustably secured as at 3.9 on the die block 1, anda pair of mounting angles 40 are laterally-adjustably secured on the baras at 4|. The mounting angles 46 have secured thereto a pair oflaterally spaced L-shaped tracks or runners '42 which are shaped attheir See under surfaces and adjacent their ends as at 43 to embrace theupper surface of the die 9 with their top surfaces on a level with thefiat shoulder |2 of said die in the manner clearly illustrated inFigures 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings. At the position of the die thetracks or runners 42 are provided with circular blank centering stops 44and overhanging shoulders .45, the former tending to perfectly @aligneach blank delivered at the punching station in the manner indicated bythe clot and dash lines in Figure 4, and the latter tending to preventupward bouncing and displacement of said blanks at the punching station.

Upper, spaced L-shaped guard rails 46 are secured as at 4! to the tracksor runners 42 and closely overlie said members 42 near the die in themanner clearly illustrated in Figure 6, but are spaced a considerabledistance from the members 42 at their other ends as at 48, thereby toprovide a wide receiving pocket 49 at the receiving end of the circularblank placing chute structure formed by the members 42 and 46 and causesaid chute structure to converge toward the circular blank deliverypoint at the punching station. See Figures 3, 5 and 6.

At its upper end each standard 28 is provided with a bearing 56, and ashaft 5| is rockably mounted in the bearings 50 and has a crank 52secured thereon. See Figures 1 and 2. It will be apparent by referenceto Figure 1 of the drawings that the crank 52 is pitman connected as at53 to a crank disc 54 which is adjustably secured as at 55 to thecrankshaft |8, thereby to cause the shaft 5| to be rocked in timedrelation to the reciprocation of the punch l3.

A'bracket 56 is secured as at 51 on the support plate 3|, and saidbracket is provided with an anchor bolt 58 at its free end, said boltbeing adapted to anchor the arcuate'ly slotted extension 40 59 on thevalve member 60 having a bore 6| surrounding the rock shaft 5|. Thevalve mem ber 60 is provided with a coniform end 62, and it will'beapparent by reference toFigures 10 and 11 that said end is equipped withan arcuate recess 63. The valve member recess '63 isconnected at one endto a suction duct 64 which leads'into a bore 65 in the valve member 6'6.A pipe 66 connected with a suitable suction source (not shown) issecured in the valve member bore 65. The coniform valve member surface62 also is provided with a relief port 61 which is connected toatmosphere through the duct 68 formed in said valve member.

A valve head' 69 is secured as at "ID on the rock shaft 5| and includesa coniform end recess H which is held in tight contact with the coniformend 62 of the valve member 60 by a compression spring 12 which surroundsthe shaft 5| between the valve head 69 and the adjacent standard bearing56 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2. It will be apparent byreference to Figures 3 and 12 that the valve head 69 is provided with asuction duct 13 which communicates between the coniform end recess H anda bore 14. A hollow suction arm '15 is secured as at 16 in the bore 14,and said arm carries a suction cup 11 at its free end. See Figures 1, 2and 3.

Each time the arm is swung from the position illustrated in full linesin Figure 3 to a position inwhich the suction cup 11 will engage thelowermost circular blank of the stack supported on the adjustablekeepers 33, the valve head duct 13 will communicate with the arcuaterecess 63 in the end of the valve member 60 so as to render said cupactive and cause it to attach itself to the lowermost circular blank inthe stack and p ull the same away from the stack as the arm starts itsmovement back to the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 3. Asthe suction arm 15 approaches the dotted line position illustrated inFigure 3 the valve head duct 13 will move out of communication with thearcuate recess 63 so as to cut off the suction communication and willmove into communication with the relief port (i7 as it reaches saiddotted line position, thereby releasing the suction held circular blankand permitting it to drop as indicated by the arrow a into the widemouth 49 of the blank delivering V and placing chute Whenever twocircular blanks arrow b in Figure 3, thereby assuring that blanks willnot be placed in superposed relation on the die 8. It will be obviousthat the action of gravity in causing said second blank to fall into thereceiving trough 35 will be augmented by centrifugal forceas a result ofthe swinging movement of the suction arm 15.

As the individual circular blank falls through theplacing chute andreaches the punching station it will come against the centering stops 43 and be accurately centered over the die in the manner indicated by dotand dash lines in Figure 4. The overhanging shoulders 45 will beefiective to prevent upward bouncing and displacement of the blanks asthey are centered by contact with the stops A stripper sleeve 18surrounds the cutting and forming punch generally designated 13 at itslower end, and said sleeve is provided with an outwardly extended fiange19 having bolts 86 secured thereto and upstanding therefrom. The bolts80 pass freely through apertures in a flange 8| secured to the punch,and the bolts are provided with stop heads 82 disposed above the flange8|, thereby to provide for a limited amount of free movement of thestripper sleeve 18 on the end of said punch. The stop heads- 82 are soplaced that they limit downward movement of the sleeve? so that when thepunch is lifted out of contact with the die the lower end of thestripper sleeve will be disposedat or just slightly below the lower endof the punch l3. See Figures 1, and 8.

Arms 83 extend laterally from the stripper sleeve 18 and are engageableon the upstrokeof the punch with stops 84 fixedly secured as at 85 onthe frame. I

While it will be obvious that the present invention may be employed inpunching small circular discs from larger circular discs or blanks,

the small discs to be formed into crown caps or other articles by asubsequent operation, it is preferred that there be incorporated in thepunch and die equipments means for simultaneously forming crown caps asthe cap discs are punched from the blanks 86 fed into position over thedie The member 89 is normally held elevated with its upper surfaceapproximately at the level of the die surface I l by a plurality of rods99 projecting upwardly from aring engaged at its under surface by ayieldable support such as arubber ring generally designated I3 includesa cutter sleeve 92 for cooperating with the cutting edge 9 of the die 8,a forming ring 93 fixedly mounted within said sleeve, and a knockout pad95 carried at the lower end of a spring lifted rod 96.

Each time the cutting and forming punch generally designated I3 descendsduring proper operation of the apparatus, the cutter sleeve 92 thereofwill engage a circular blank 86 aligned over the die 8 in the mannerindicated in dot and dash lines in Figure 4 and will pass through saidblank and into the die 8 cutting out the central portion of said blankand leaving a scrap ring 91 on the surface I I of the die. The punchedcentral portion of the blank will be shaped over the center block oranvil 88 by the pad 95 and the ring 93 so as to form a crown cap 94. Asthe punch is withdrawn upwardly the stripper ring 89 will be movedupwardly to force the formed crown cap out of the die so that it willfall upon the apertured floor 25 and pass through an aperture thereinonto the delivery chute floor or bottom 24 in the manner indicated indotted lines in Figure 1. Should the formed crown captend to stick inthe forming ring 93, the rod 96 will strip the same by engagement of theupper end thereof with a suitable fixed abutment (not shown) supportedon the press frame structure.

The scrap ring 91 formed by the passing of the cutter sleeve 92 throughthe blank 86 will frictionally hug the sleeve 92 and move with the sameon its upstroke. It will be obvious that as the sleeve 92 passes intothe opening It in' the die 8 the stripper sleeve 13 will be interceptedand held against movement by the die shoulder i i and upon retraction ofthe punch will be held above the end of the punch sleeve 92 by the scrapring 9'! in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 5. As the upwardmovement of the punch continues the stripper sleeve arms 83 will engagethe fixed stops 84 in a manner for arresting upward movement of thestripper sleeve 18. By thus arresting upward movement of the strippersleeve 18 while the upward movement of the punch continues, the scrapring 91 will be stripped from the end of the punch and allowed to fallby gravity through the receiving throat 23 of the chute structure 2!onto the floor 25 which'will deliver it to a take-away conveyor or asuitable collecting means. Obviously the bottom 24 of the chutestructure also may deliver the formed crown caps 94 onto a take-offconveyor or into a suitable collecting receptacle.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes ofillustration, it is to be clearl understood that various changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theal pended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus .Qf the character described, a blank stack, a suctioncup movable to and from said stack to' withdraw blanks one by onetherefrom and swingingly actuated to eiTect a centrifugal force on anysecond blank inadvertently withdrawn, a collector trough and a delivery3 means arranged inspaced relation under the path of movement of saidcup so that during movement of the cup a blank attached to the cup bysuction and withdrawn from the stack will be moved over the trough to aposition above the from the stack with said suctionattached blank willfall by combined action of gravity and centrifugal force into saidtrough before reaching th position of said delivery means, and suctioncontrol means rendering the cupactive to attach itself to blanks at thestack and while moving from the stack to the delivery means and forrelieving the suction over the delivery means to cause the suctionattached blank to fall by action of gravity onto said delivery means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the delivery means comprisesan inclined'chute having'a large receiving mouth and converging guidetrack portions for guiding delivery of the individually fed blanks.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which there is included die and acooperating reciprocating punch into position between which the delivermeans places blanks removed from the stack by the suction cup, and meansfor operating the punch and the suction cup in synchronism, and in whichthe delivery means comprises a chute having stop shoulders at itsdelivery 'end disposed to accurately align blanks with the die,

and overhanging shoulder portions at the position of the die tendingtoprevent displacement of the blanks by bouncing.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which there is includeda die and acooperating reciprocating punch into position between which the deliverymeans places blanks removed from the stack by the suction cup, and meansfor operating the punch and the suction cup in synchronism, and in whichthe delivery means comprises a chute having stop shoulders at itsdelivery end disposed to accurately align blanks with the die,

and in which there is included a delivery chute for delivering punchedelements and scrap, and said last named chute including an inclinedbottom and an inclined floor spaced above the bottom in position forreceiving scrap and punched elements and having apertures therein forpassing the punched elements onto the bottom to thereby separate themfrom the scrap.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a blank stack, anoscillatable hollow arm having a suction cup at its free end disposed tomove in an'arc to and from said stack to withdraw blanks one by onetherefrom, a collector trough and a delivery means arranged in spacedrelation under the path of movement of said cup so that during movementof the cup a blank attached to the cup by suction and withdrawn from thestack will be moved over the trough to a position above the deliverymeans and any second blank Withdrawn from the stack with said suctionattached blank wil1 fall by action of gravity and centrifugal force intosaid trough before reaching the position of said delivery means, andsuction control means rendering the cup active to attach. itself toblanks at the stack and while moving from the stack to the deliverymeans and for relieving the suction over the delivery means to cause thesuction attached blank to fall by action of gravity onto said deliverymeans.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which there is included a die anda cooperating reciprocating punch into position between which thedelivery means places blanks removed from the stack by the suction cup,and means for operating the punch and the suction cup in synchronism,and in which the delivery means comprises a chute having stop shouldersat its delivery end disposed to accurately align blanks with the die,

delivery means and any second blank withdrawn and overhanging shoulderportions at the position of the die tending to prevent displacementofthe blanks by bouncing.

'7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which the suction control meansincludes a stationary Valve member having an arcuate clearance connectedwith a suction source, and a valve member movable with the suction cupcarrying arm and having a duct therein disposed to communicate betweenthe hollow of the arm and said arcuate clearance during oscillation ofthe arm and to move out of communication withsaid arcuate clearance andinto communication with atmosphere as the suction cup comes intoposition over the delivery means thereby to release a suction attachedblank from the cup and permit it to fall to said delivery means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which there is included a die anda cooperating punch, crank and pitman means for operating the punch intoposition between which the delivery means places blanks removed from thestack by the suction cup, said cup carrying arm being fixed on a rockshaft crank and pitman connected to the punch operating crank shaft tooperate in synchronism with the punch, and in which the suction controlmean includes a stationary valve member and a second valve memberrockable with the rock shaft, said valve members having complementaryendwise engaging coniform faces the stationary one of which is providedwith an arcuate clearance connected with a suction source and themovable one of which has a duct extending therethrough communicatingwith the hollow of the arm and disposed to communicate between thehollow of the arm and said arcuate clearance during oscillation of thearm and to move out of communication with said arcuate clearance andinto communication with atmosphere as the suction cup comes intopositicn'over the delivery means thereby to release a suction attachedblank from the cup and permit it to fall to said delivery means.

9. In apparatus of the character described, die, a reciprocable punchcooperating with said die, and a delivery chute for delivering blanksinto position between the punch and die, said chute comprising a pair oflaterally spaced L-shaped tracks arranged at least in part on an inclineand having at their delivery ends stop shoulders effective to engageblanks sliding over said tracks to stop movement thereof and center themover said die.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a. die, a reciprocablepunch cooperating with said die, and a delivery chute for deliveringblanks into position between the punch and die, said chute comprising apair of laterally spaced L-shaped tracks arranged at least in part on anincline and having at their delivery ends stop shoulders effective toengage blanks sliding over said tracks to stop movement thereof andcenter them over said die, and overhanging shoulders efiective to tendto prevent upward displacement of the blanks by bouncing as they comeagainst said stop shoulders.

11. In apparatus of the character described, a die, a reciprocable punchcooperating with said die, a delivery chute for delivering blanks intoposition between the punch and die, said chute comprising a pair oflaterally spaced L-shaped tracks arranged at least in part on an inclineand having at their delivery end-s stop shoulders effective to engageblanks sliding over said tracks to stop movement thereof and center themover said die, and an L-shaped guard rail attached to and spaced aboveeach L-shaped track for guiding blanks moving over the L-shaped trackstoward the die, each said guard rail diverging away from the track withwhich it cooperates in the direction extending away from the die therebyto provide a wide receiving mouth at the end of the chute remote fromthe die, and means for dropping blanks one by one into said mouth.

12. In apparatus of the character described, a die, a reciprocable punchcooperating with said die, a delivery chute for delivering circularblanks into position between the punch and die, said chute comprising apair of laterally spaced L-shaped tracks arranged at least in part on anincline and having at their delivery ends stop shoulders effective toengag blanks sliding over said tracks to stop movement thereof andcenter them over said die, a stripper sleeve mounted for a limitedamount of sliding movement on the punch and disposed to normallygravitate at least to the bottom of the punch, and stop mean engageableWith the sleeve on upward movement of the punch when the sleeve is heldabove the punch end by a scrap ring hugging the same after a punchingoperation for forcing the sleeve downwardly and efiecting a stripping01f of said ring from. the punch.

HENRY A. FINK.

